Stay on my Island
by awesomesauceuniverse
Summary: Everyone knows how Leo fell in love with Calypso and her beautiful voice This is the story of how Calypso fell in love with Leo and his laugh. Leo's time on Ogygia in Calypso's POV. Caleo. The story will be updated as often as possible - hopefully every other Sunday.
1. Someone Crashes Into My Dining Table

Hey, guys! This is my first fanfiction so please no hate if it turns out to be dreadful. I aim to be one of the few fanfiction authors who use proper grammar and spelling. :-) I try.

Anyway, I've basically always wondered what Calypso's thoughts were while Leo was stuck on Ogygia. Please review and let me know what you think :-) Enjoy!

CALYPSO - SOMEONE CRASHES INTO MY DINING TABLE

I sat by my harp, but I wasn't playing. My head was in my hands and my knees were drawn up to my chest. I felt the presence of one of my invisible wind spirits flash past me, flickering in concern. When they had first noticed my depression (at least, that's what Apollo called it when he visited me) they had fluttered around me all day and all night, hovering hopefully as if being there would miraculously reverse my curse and free me from my glorified prison.

Then I heard a massive crash! from the beach and I jumped to my feet, realising that maybe the spirit's concern hadn't been for me. I sprinted out of my cave, arriving at the beach just inside to see a curly-haired figure sliding to the bottom of a huge crater that had appeared in the sand, yelling something excitedly I couldn't exactly hear. Anger rose in my throat. Even though I wasn't on Ogygia by choice, it was still my home, and no-one had a right to destroy it like that!

I stormed over to the lip of the crater and stared down at the person who was now sitting cross-legged on the floor of it, holding a mysterious bronze sphere.

"What are you doing?" I finally noticed the splinters of wood and goblets littered through the crater and realised something had been damaged in the making of the crater. "You blew up my dining table!"

The person looked up and I realised it was a boy. I couldn't tell how tall he was, because he was sitting in a hole, but he was thin, with dark, curly hair and deep brown eyes. His features reminded me a bit of an elf – a mischievous look and a glint in his eyes full of fun. But the fun and mischievousnesses were rather overshadowed by the pain and sorrow they were swimming in right now. They were eyes that had been through far too much, far too soon.

I noticed the metal ball he was clutching in his hands was glowing slightly as if it was burning hot. I took note of that. If it was actually as hot as it looked and he could still hold it comfortably, he probably wasn't human.

I moved my glare back up to his face, which was now screwed up in distaste, mixed in with a hint of dislike.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, his voice rising. "I just fell out of the sky. I constructed a helicopter in midair, burst into flames halfway down, crash-landed and barely survived. But by all means - let's talk about your dining table!"

He grabbed one of the pewter goblets that had been on the table and was now twisted and melted. "Who puts a dining room table on the beach where innocent demigods can crash into it? Who DOES that?"

Just my luck. Of course, another random demigod would crash-land on my dining table, snap it in half, break all my tableware, burn my napkins and then use it as an excuse to insult me.

AND THIS ONE WASN'T EVEN THAT HOT!

I clenched my fists and directed a furious glare at the sky. "REALLY?! You want to make my curse even WORSE? Zeus! Hephaestus! Hermes! Have you no shame?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the demigod shift uncomfortably. "Uh..I doubt they're listening. You know, the whole split-personality thing -"

I ignored him. "Show yourself!" I demanded, still yelling at the sky. "It's not bad enough I am exiled? It's not bad enough you take away the few good heroes I'm allowed to meet?" I blink hard and shut off the memories of Odysseus, Drake...Percy Jackson...all the people that had let me fall for them and then left before catching me.

"You think it's funny to send me this - this charbroiled runt of a boy to ruin my tranquility? This is NOT FUNNY! Take him back!"

"Hey, Sunshine," the demigod interrupted. "I'm right here, you know."

Still boiling with rage, I growled at him. "Do NOT call me Sunshine! Get out of that hole and come with me NOW so you can get off my island!"

The direction of my anger had changed. Of course, I was still partially mad at the demigod who had shattered my dining table, but now I was letting out all of the stress and anger that had built up inside of me at not being released from my curse.

And the unfortunate demigod just happened to be in the way.

He didn't seem fazed, though. "Well, since you asked so nicely..." he said and began climbing out of the crater with surprising strength and speed for someone who appeared so scrawny. I shook my head and began marching towards the shore.


	2. The Raft is Stuck in Traffic

CALYPSO – THE RAFT IS STUCK IN TRAFFIC

He hurried after me as I stalked to the edge of the beach. Spinning around to face him, I gestured disgustedly at the remains of my ex-dining table, littered around the white sand. "This was a pristine beach! Look at it now."

He muttered something under his breath and then spoke louder. "I should've crashed on one of the other islands. Oh, wait – there aren't any!"

I snarled and continued walking along the edge of the water, stopping at a clear spot of sand with easy access to the lapping waves. I stared out at the water, remembering the other times the raft had appeared on the horizon. This was different though – I wanted the raft to come.

I felt something hit me from behind and fell forward. I turned, grabbing the surprised demigod's arms and using them to pull me out of the way of the water. I glared at him in annoyance – first he crashes into my furniture, ruining the beach, and then he runs into me and nearly pushes me into the sea. I couldn't wait to –

I was distracted as I realised how close we were. His chocolate eyes were less than four inches away from mine. I stared at them for a moment, and saw them unfocus slightly, as if he was reminiscing about something that had happened long ago.

Shaking myself out of the daze, I pushed him away abruptly. "All right. This spot is good. Now tell me you want to leave."

"What?" he asked, gormlessly. I cursed under my breath. Apparently, this was going to be harder than I'd thought.

"Do you want to _leave?_ Surely you've got somewhere to go?"

"Uh…yeah," he said, his eyes brightening as the penny finally dropped. "My friends are in trouble. I need to get back to my ship and-" I cut him off. I didn't need to hear about the life in the outside world he had to return to. At least he could return to it. I was banished to Ogygia forever.

"Fine," I snapped. "Just say, _I want to leave Ogygia."_

"Uh, okay," the demigod responded. I saw hurt flash in his eyes for a second, but it was quickly replaced by determination. "I want to leave – whatever you said."

"Oh-gee-gee-ah," I said slowly, enunciating. The quicker he could pick it up, the quicker he could leave.

"I want to leave Oh-gee-gee-ah," he said, replicating exactly how I had sounded it out to him. I sighed, relieved. "Good. In a moment, the magical raft will appear. IT will take you wherever you want to go."

"Who _are_ you?" he demanded. Curiosity sparked in those chocolate eyes. I opened my mouth to reply and instead internally cursed myself and wrote a mental note; stop looking in his eyes. It was making me…feel sorry for him or something.

"It doesn't matter. You'll be gone soon. You're obviously a mistake," I spat, harshly. I stopped myself from looking in his eyes, but I could remember the hurt that would no doubt appear there again. I scanned the water again instead, noticing a suspicious lack of magic raft. "Any moment now…"

The demigod looked at the water again. No magical raft appeared.

"Maybe it got stuck in traffic," he suggested.

"This is wrong." I glared at the sky. "This is completely wrong!" Why did the gods hate me? I had obediently followed the terms of my punishment for far too long, staying on Ogygia, allowing the heroes I fell in love with to leave and only cussing the gods out occasionally. And now they had sent me a short, elvish, insufferable demigod to add to my torment.

A demigod with eyes full of regret and buried pain.

I shook myself again. "So…plan B?" the demigod asked. "You got a phone, or-"

"Argh!" I growled, and stormed off angrily. When I reached the footpath, I broke into a sprint, running through the trees.

"Okay," I heard the demigod say, his voice fading as I increased the distance between us. "Or you could just run away."

Sorry this chapter was so short! I'm on holiday in India, and I'm really jet-lagged. In fact, it's 3am here. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!


	3. I Stab Some Dirt

CALYPSO –

I stormed into my garden, grabbing a trowel left on the floor near one of the vegetable beds and sat down on the grass, digging furiously. The dirt wasn't hard or tightly packed, but I stabbed it angrily in a way which probably wasn't too good for it as I cursed in Greek. My dress was now spotted with dark soil, but I didn't care. I felt my eyes stinging as I impaled the ground once more.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the demigod coming closer. He stayed quiet for a while. When he was about a metre away, he said, "I think you've punished that dirt enough."

I scowled at him, but I wasn't really annoyed anymore. He was right. 'Punishing' the dirt had relieved some of my anger.

"Just go away," I said anyway.

"You're crying," he said, in a sort of surprised voice. I glanced briefly at his eyes, which were now brimming with compassion. All the anger had drained out of them. Remembering the promise I had made to myself earlier, I looked down and muttered, "None of your business. It's a big island…Just find your own place." I recalled his eyes and added, "Leave me alone. Go that way, maybe,". I said the last part as I waved my arm in a random direction.

He didn't move. "So, no magic raft. No other way off the island?"

"Apparently not!" I said angrily.

"What am I supposed to do, then? Sit in the sand dunes until I die?"

He had brought up my earlier annoyance with the gods again. "That would be fine…" His death would probably annoy the gods if he was a demigod. A small part of my brain wondered who his godly parent was.

"Except…I suppose he _can't_ die here, can he? ZEUS!" I shouted at the sky again. "This is not funny!"

Surprise registered on the demigod's face for a moment. "Hold up. I'm going to need some more information here. You don't want me in your face, that's cool. I don't want to be here either." For some reason, that last sentence stung a bit. I couldn't understand why. He was right. We both wanted him gone.

"But I'm not going to go die in a corner. I have to get off this island. There's _got_ to be a way. Every problem has a fix."

I laughed bitterly. Who actually still believed that? _Every problem has a fix._ If that was true, I would have found a way of this cursed island thousands of years ago. "You haven't lived very long, if you still believe that." He flinched, and I felt a spike of remorse, but he dismissed it quickly and continued with another question. "You said something about a curse…" he said suggestively.

I sighed internally and flexed my fingers. There was no point lying to him. Even if I didn't say anything, he would probably take it upon himself to find out, and my spirits couldn't keep their mouths shut. "Yes, I cannot leave Ogygia. My father, Atlas, fought against the gods, and I supported him."

"Atlas…" he murmured. And then, louder, "As in the _Titan_ Atlas?"

I rolled my eyes at him. What other Atlas was there? "Yes, you impossible little…" I bit my tongue. If we were both going to be stuck on this island, there was no reason to be enemies.

That didn't mean I had to like him though.

"I was imprisoned here, where I could cause the Olympians no trouble," I continued. "About a year ago, after the Second Titan War, the gods vowed to forgive their enemies and offer amnesty. Supposedly Percy made them promise –"

I cut myself off abruptly. If he knew Percy, he would probably soon figure out who I was. And just saying his name had brought all the repressed memories to the front.

"Percy…Percy Jackson?" the demigod asked, almost to himself.


	4. My Name is Not Reggae

Thanks so much to everybody who's read my story I hope you're enjoying it!

Previously: _I cut myself off abruptly. If he knew Percy, he would probably soon figure out who I was. And just saying his name had brought all the repressed memories to the front._

" _Percy…Percy Jackson?" the demigod asked, almost to himself._

CALYPSO – MY NAME IS NOT REGGAE

I squeezed my eyes shut, but despite my efforts, a stray tear escaped and ran down my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes again when I heard the demigod's voice again.

"Percy came here," he said. It wasn't a question.

I buried my hands in the ground. "I – I thought I would be released. I dared to hope…but I am still here."

I lifted my eyes to meet his, but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were far away, and I watched as realisation dawned in them.

"You're that lady," he eventually said.

I sighed on the inside. I had always known he would find out who I was. Despite his obliviousness, I had a feeling he was quite resourceful. But then –

"The one who was named after Caribbean music."

"Caribbean music," I said slowly, dragging out the words. _Caribbean music._ Whatever a _Caribbean_ was, it was probably a lot younger than I was. It had been named after me. Why would a _Caribbean_ be called Calypso, though? It was already called Caribbean.

The demigod's musing brought me out of my thoughts. "Yeah…reggae?" He shook his head thoughtfully. "Merengue? Hold on, I'll get it."

Impatiently, I waited, and I was rewarded about a minute later when he snapped his fingers. "Calypso!" he exclaimed. Just as I was about to finally congratulate him on figuring it out (in a sarcastic voice, of course,) he opened his mouth again. "But Percy said you were awesome. He said you were all sweet and helpful, not, um…"

I couldn't figure out whether his voice had trailed off because he had noticed the murder that had suddenly appeared in my eyes, or because he couldn't think of a polite adjective to finish his sentence with. I didn't care which one it was, though. I sprung to my feet, yanking my hands out of the earth. _"Yes?"_

"Uh…nothing," he said doubtfully.

"Would you be _sweet_ if the gods forgot their promise to let you go?" I demanded angrily. "Would you be sweet if they _laughed_ at you by sending another hero, but a hero who looked like – like _you?"_

I felt bad as soon as I finished my tirade. It wasn't really fair to him that I was venting about my frustration with the gods and he happened to be caught in the crossfire.

And he wasn't that bad looking. Maybe if he was a few inches taller, a bit more muscular, he would resemble the heroes I would normally be sent. He was more interesting than downright hot. He had long, slender fingers that were calloused with work and resembled my own. His curly brown hair framed a chiselled face which emphasised his beautiful brown eyes – the feature that I couldn't get past, for some reason.

I shook myself as he said, "Is that a trick question?"

But however pretty his eyes were, he was incredibly frustrating. " _Di Immortales!"_ I cursed, and once again, I spun on my heel and stalked away from him.

This time, he followed me immediately, calling, "Hey!" as he jogged after me.

I went straight to the washbasin without stopping for him, and began to rinse the soil off my arms. When he reached me, I glared at him, but I didn't say anything. I had released most of my anger for the day. I didn't have anything left to say to him.

He cleared his throat. "So…I get why you're angry. You probably never want to see another demigod again. I guess that didn't sit right when, uh, Percy left you –"

There he went again, doing so well at the beginning and then ruining it at the end. At least he understood why I was angry. The match that had been fuelling my anger had almost completely died out by now. I was too mentally tired to start another fight.

"He was only the latest," I informed the demigod, as coolly as I could, considering the memories of anguish and heartbreak saying the names of my heroes brought up. "Before him, it was the pirate Drake. And before him, Odysseus. They were all the same! The gods end me the greatest heroes, the ones I cannot help but –"

The match was relighting, but the demigod interrupted. "You fall in love with them," he guessed correctly. "And then they leave you."

The match went out again and I felt my chin wobble involuntarily. "That is my curse," I said, my voice full of bitterness and regret. "I had hoped to be free of it by now, but here I am, still stuck on Ogygia after three thousand years."

"Three thousand…" he sounded dumbstruck. "Uh, you look good for three thousand."

Somewhere deep inside me, a laugh bubbled through, but it was far below the surface. I had to repress any burgeoning feelings for this demigod. I would not succumb to my curse again.

"And now…the worst insult of all," I said, feeling bad already, but I knew that I had to be as harsh as possible in order to protect both myself and him from what would happen if I fell in love with him. "The gods mock me by sending _you._ " 

He is silent for a while. I manage to resist the temptation to look in his eyes for about a minute before I give in and lift my eyes to his. Once again, he's not looking at me, but far off into the distance. But I can see the hurt and anger in his eyes clearly – so clearly that it cuts me to the bone. Quickly, I look away, and bite my lip hard. _I will not look in his eyes,_ I chant to myself. Because that strange feeling I get when I see them (which has to be pity or something like that) is not going away.

"Fine," he finally says bitterly. "I'll leave you alone. I'll build something myself and get off this stupid island without your help."

His confidence and sorrow fills me with sadness as well. "You don't understand, do you?" I say to him, shaking my head. "The gods are laughing at both of us. If the raft will not appear, that means they've closed Ogygia. You're stuck here the same as me. You can never leave."


	5. I Throw Pots

Hey guys! Thanks so much to anybody who's still reading this story and I hope you're really enjoying it

As always, reviews appreciated!

Enjoy!

Previously: _"Fine," he finally says bitterly. "I'll leave you alone. I'll build something myself and get off this stupid island without your help."_

 _His confidence and sorrow fills me with sadness as well. "You don't understand, do you?" I say to him, shaking my head. "The gods are laughing at both of us. If the raft will not appear, that means they've closed Ogygia. You're stuck here the same as me. You can never leave."_

CALYPSO –

I didn't really see him much for the next four days. He had retreated to the beach and stayed there all day, every day. I had glanced out of my cave one day and seen a makeshift bed of drop cloths with a figure lying on it, in front of a small fire, flickering under the stars. It was quite a picturesque scene and I would have appreciated it more if I hadn't recognised the wood that was being used to fuel the fire – broken pieces of my dining table.

Physically, my life continued almost exactly as it would have if I had still been alone on Ogygia. I gardened, cooked, wove, sang, and tried my best not to think about the past or cuss out the gods. The only thing that was different in that respect was that I got my spirits to leave food and drink at the edge of the garden, where the demigod would pick them up each day. There was no point in leaving him to starve. He was going to be here anyway – either as a malnourished stick figure, as he probably couldn't die, or as the extremely annoying but healthy demigod he was now.

I also didn't want the death of anyone, no matter how annoying, on my conscience.

I wasn't mean to him, either. We occasionally crossed paths in the garden or on the beach (which I tried to steer clear of most days) and briefly acknowledged each other. In an exchange where he had asked me about the time here, I had answered in a supremely unhelpful manner. However, I had finally learnt his name – Leo. For some reason, it had interested me more than the strange way time worked on this cursed island.

I tried to send him clothes, too, once I accidentally witnessed him set fire to his shirt. He was more muscular than he had looked, but I couldn't give him the idea that I didn't find him repulsive in every way (although I was beginning to subconsciously like him more and more all the time. For someone who had crash-landed on my island and been utterly dismissed by me, he was much more well-mannered than I expected anybody to be.)

However, although we were on better terms now, I still couldn't let myself get attached to him. I tried to avoid him at all costs, and never directly gave him food or clothes myself, instead sending my spirits down to him or leaving things by the garden. On one occasion, he had actually come to my cave and stuck his head inside while I was washing up.

I was not proud to have completely freaked out and begun hurling pots and pans at his head.

Mentally, though, something was different. Every night, or whenever I wasn't completely focused on a task of some sort, I began to think about him. About the way he accepted all my rude comments towards him as if he was used to it. The way he laughed things off and expertly changed the subject.

His eyes and his laugh. The first time I had heard his laugh, I actually felt a piece of my shattered heart return.

Knowing the fates though, if I fell for him, I would lose more than a single piece of my heart. I had a feeling that this was the last time, for some reason. I would either be completely devastated when he eventually left, or somehow have to avoid him for the rest of my life if he remained on the island.

That would only happen if I let myself fall for him, though. So every time I saw him, I internally closed of my ears, never let myself look at his eyes and thought about one of the other heroes that had washed up on Ogygia's shores.

 _Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Sorry there was no real plot there…I just needed a sort of time fill while Leo adjusts to the island life in the book. The next one will further the plot! I promise!_

 _Xx_


	6. The Moonlace Betrays Me

Hey guys! Thank you so much to anybody who's left reviews or followed the story, it's really appreciated

I'm really glad you're enjoying it

Hope you like this chapter!

Previously: _That would only happen if I let myself fall for him, though. So every time I saw him, I internally closed of my ears, never let myself look at his eyes and thought about one of the other heroes that had washed up on Ogygia's shores._

CALYPSO –

I poured a few drops of water onto the moonlace that waved gently in the garden. Whenever I needed a break from constantly thinking about Leo, and the fragile, silvery plant reminded me of Percy.

It wasn't the best solution, but it was the only one I could think of.

I heard an excited yell from the hills, and stiffened. I listened carefully for a few more seconds – the voice could only be Leo's – before shaking myself and refocusing on the moonlace. I inhaled deeply, remembering sea-green eyes as I pressed a cutting of moonlace into his hand as he left…

As he left me. Just as all the others had.

My depressing thoughts were interrupted by a muffled _clang_ and an surprised yelp. I looked through the trees, making sure I couldn't be seen, at Leo, who was lugging a heavy-looking collection of Celestial Bronze sheets. I had no idea how the scrawny-looking demigod was able to carry all of it, but he towed it towards his shelter on the beach with a determined look on his face. Not for the first time, I felt a twinge of regret at making him sleep outside on the sand. It sometimes got bitterly cold at night and I wondered how he was coping.

But we had to keep a safe distance between us.

I turned back to my garden, fussing over the moonlace unnecessarily. It didn't really need any care at the moment – it was perfectly healthy and flourishing – but I had to occupy myself with something. I breathed in again, and managed to summon up the same mental image of myself thrusting a fragile cutting of moonlace towards someone with green, green eyes…

In the memory, I looked up, staring intently at his face, my heart filled with sorrow and resignation. I knew he wasn't going to stay - they never did.

Then the green eyes flashed, and turned brown. A deep chocolatey brown, swirling with hidden emotions. The moonlace fell out of my hands and I gripped his face. I'd never let myself cry at a hero's departure before, but this time, I felt tears welling in my eyes.

I jerked my head away from the moonlace, and stormed into my cave. No matter what I did, I seemed unable to escape Leo Valdez.

-line break-

I slept fitfully that night, and woke early to a faint smell of smoke and a lot of banging. Once again, there was only one possible source for the noise.

Annoyed, I tried to shut out the noise. After the 'vision' I'd experienced the day before, I was more sure than ever that any contact with him would just make things worse.

I wasn't sure how I'd become so infatuated with him. He was nothing like the heroes I normally went for – with blandly handsome features and a hero-complex – and a tendency to patronize me, I realised only now.

Leo was different. In the few exchanges we'd had since his arrival on Ogygia, he had treated me as his equal – or even his superior. He had never expected me to help him, or to house him in my cave, and had never asked me for anything. I gave him food and clothes out of decency.

He wasn't stoic, and his features were striking rather than bland, right from his pointed ears to the chocolatey eyes I was so wary of. His humour was infectious – I always tried my best to stay rigidly impassive during our brief conversations, but I could never leave without at the very least cracking a grin.

It was an alien experience, and I was enjoying it.

Based on this, I ignored the noise for as long as I could. I left him food like normal at the edge of the garden, and carried on with my daily activities as best as I could with the distraction of a hammer ringing on metal sounding constantly throughout the day.

That evening, as I sat next to my harp, I adopted the same position I had been in when Leo had crashed onto Ogygia – although this time it was only partly out of despair. Mostly, by head was between my knees to block out the noise. Mirroring the event of Leo's arrival again, I felt a spirit rush past me, except this time it didn't leave – it hovered there expectantly, as if waiting for me to look up.

Reluctantly, I did, and saw the food I'd left for Leo that afternoon seemingly floating in front of me. I was used to the fact that when invisible servants held things, they looked liked they were flying by themselves. The first time Leo had crossed paths with me while I was with my servants, he had nearly impaled himself on the gardening fork one of the spirits was holding for me.

I cleared my mind of the memory and focused on the food in front of me, confused. It had never been returned before.

"Did he bring it back, or was it left by the garden?" I asked, still baffled.

 _It was left there,_ the spirit hummed in my mind. _He didn't see it, or come for it like he usually does._

I could tell it was waiting for instructions, so I impatiently waved my hand and told it to do whatever it wanted with the food. I wasn't paying attention to that. I was trying to figure out why I felt the way I did.

I tried to single out my emotions. Hurt was the dominant one, and I wasn't sure why. They were all related to sadness – and a strange feeling of rejection. Surely Leo not coming for the food I had gotten him today couldn't make me feel like this? It was one tiny thing. It shouldn't be affecting me so much.

 _That's right,_ a little voice inside my head said. _It_ _ **shouldn't**_ _be affecting you so much. So don't let it._

I tried to repress the feeling of rejection – _it's only some uneaten food, Calypso, -_ and looked at the harp instead. Maybe I could play and it would take my mind off things…

Ten minutes later, I found myself curled into a ball next to the harp once more, and this time, it wasn't to block out the noise.

 _Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm going to be uploading about three chapters now, because I had some free time on my flight and I thought I'd use it productively_

 _Thanks for reading!_


	7. Everyone Has to Eat, Right?

Hope you're enjoying the story so far as always, reviews are greatly appreciated

Xx

Previously: _I tried to repress the feeling of rejection – it's only some uneaten food, Calypso, - and looked at the harp instead. Maybe I could play and it would take my mind off things…_

 _Ten minutes later, I found myself curled into a ball next to the harp once more, and this time, it wasn't to block out the noise._

CALYPSO – EVERYONE HAS TO EAT

I was at the loom this time when one of my sprites brought me the uneaten food again. Pushing down the hurt that insisted on welling up inside me, I gestured to the kitchen and sunk into a mental conversation, the two halves of my brain warring with each other.

You shouldn't go talk to him. You'll get too attached.

 _But everyone has to eat! And I'll only be there for a minute!_

Why do you care?

 _I don't! I don't want anyone dying, that's all!_

Liar.

 _I'll just give him the food. I'll just give him some food, and leave._

At least complain about the noise while you're there.

 _I was going to do that anywhere._

I gave instructions to the spirits to prepare some food and continued to reassure myself that it was alright if I personally gave Leo the food. It wouldn't do any harm.

It wouldn't.

I passed through the kitchen on my way out and grabbed a loaf of bread and a basket of grapes. As I walked through the garden towards the beach, taking a longer route on purpose, I practiced my impassive face. _No laughing. No making him laugh. And don't look into his eyes._

I reached the beach and was immediately assaulted by a cloud of smoke. It was the first time I'd been out here since the noise had started, and I was impressed by what he'd achieved. He had ditched the sticks-and-canvas lean-to and had managed to make his own forge. I had no idea where he had gotten the makeshift bricks from, but it was impressive how quickly the whole place had been set up. He was standing by a flat, metal plate made from iron – not Celestial Bronze. Again, I had no idea where it had come from. He was more resourceful than I had given him credit for.

I stood in the doorway, watching him for a second. He was intently banging at a thing that was beginning to take shape in front of him. What it was, I had no clue (and I was getting really tired of saying that) but it was true. He was surrounded by smoke and ash and covered in soot. His hands heated up for a second, before being engulfed in flames. I managed to contain my surprise as he pressed his palm onto a piece of the metal, fusing it with something else.

A son of Hephaestus. That made sense – the speed at which he had built his forge, the way the explosion when he had landed hadn't hurt him. He was a fire user.

And a powerful one, too.

I put my hands on my hips and cleared my throat. He didn't even look up. And I wasn't hurt by that. Not at all.

"Do you have to be so loud?" I demanded. "Smoke and fire, clanging on metal all day long…you're scaring away the birds!"

"Oh no, not the birds!" he said sarcastically, still hammering at his creation. Curious, I asked, "What do you hope to accomplish?"

He looked up at the question and I jumped as the hammer missed his thumb by a millimetre. He stared at me for a second, his eyes widening slightly. I could see the longing in his eyes when his eyes ran over the food I was carrying.

"I'm _hoping_ to get off this island," he said. My heart dropped into my stomach for some reason. "That is what you want, right?"

He didn't mean it as a question. It came out like an accusation.

I scowled. I should want him off the island. I should want it more than anything – he was just an extremely annoying, noisy and insolent demigod.

So why didn't I want him gone?

I put the basket and the bread down near a soot-stained bedroll. "You haven't eaten in two days," I said. "Take a break and _eat."_

His long eyelashes fluttered in surprise. "Two days?" he said, bemused. For some reason, my heart lifted again. He hadn't ignored my food on purpose. I pushed down the feeling, but I found I couldn't as he muttered, "Thanks. I'll…try to hammer more quietly."

"Huh," I said, trying to keep my face and tone neutral.

As I walked back to my cave, I tried to stiffen my resolve, but I had already, unconsciously, made the decision. I thought of an idea I'd had the third time I'd had to weave him a new set of clothes.

I sighed as I accepted that I would be visiting again.


	8. I Sew Lots of Pockets

Hope you guys are enjoying these updates

Reviews greatly appreciated

Xx

Previously: _"Huh," I said, trying to keep my face and tone neutral._

 _As I walked back to my cave, I tried to stiffen my resolve, but I had already, unconsciously, made the decision. I thought of an idea I'd had the third time I'd had to weave him a new set of clothes._

 _I sighed as I accepted that I would be visiting again._

CALYPSO –

I walked back to Leo's makeshift forge on the beach a two days later, this time with a set of clothes slung across my arm. I had used what little magic I had been allowed to keep to make these clothes fireproof, so he wouldn't keep burning through them.

I had also made very specific clothes. I fingered the army fatigue jacket absently. It had a lot of extra pockets on it, which had taken me a little longer than usual to stitch, but I was determined to recreate the outfit I had seen in the vision perfectly.

I walked up to him, approaching his back as he tinkered with the device on the plate. It was a lot quieter now – I got the sense that he was nearly done.

"I brought you –"

I startled backwards as he jumped about a foot in the air, wires dropping to the floor around him. "Bronze bulls, girl! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

I felt a twinge of annoyance – I wasn't _sneaking_ – but my heart skipped a beat at the accent that had slipped into his voice during the exclamation. I had heard it once or twice before – a foreign twang that made his words richer and somehow, more emphatic.

"I wasn't _sneaking,_ ", I told him. "I was bringing you these." I gestured with my free arm towards the clothes I was carrying. He looked at them with an unimpressed expression for maybe half a second before his eyes flashed with recognition, appreciation and gratitude, then surprise, and finally confusion.

"How?" he asked.

I put the clothes on the ground by his feet and then moved back as quickly as I could. My attempts to limit contact between us were failing – I blamed my pitiful self-control – but I would keep doing the best I could, regardless.

"I do have a little magic, you know. You keep burning through the clothes I give you, so I thought I would weave something less flammable."

"These won't burn?" he asked doubtfully, picking up the jeans and feeling them carefully.

I felt slightly hurt again. "They are completely fireproof. They'll stay clean and expand to fit you, should you ever become less scrawny." His expression softened and his eyes filled with trust – trust for me – as he said "Thanks." He sounded honestly impressed. My heart swelled.

"So…you made an exact replica of my favourite outfit. Did you, like, google me or something?"

 _google._ What the Styx was a _google?_ I frowned. "I don't know that word," I admitted, grudgingly.

"You looked me up," he said. "Almost like you had some interest in me."

I wrinkled my nose, even though the playful look in his eyes was making my heart beat at twice the normal rate. "I have an interest in not making you a new set of clothes every other day," I said, defending myself. There were many practical reasons for gifting him the clothes… "I have an interest in you not smelling so bad and walking around my island in smouldering rags."

The 'smelling bad' part was only partially true. Before the noise had started, he had smelt amazing. Like spices and pine trees and cinnamon.

"Oh, yeah," he grinned, which was only slightly better news for my heart than a laugh. When he smiled, his whole face lit up. His eyes sparkled with humour and fun. "You're really warming up to me."

I blushed furiously. "You are the most insufferable person I have ever met! I was only returning a favour. You fixed my fountain." I had to stop lying. The insufferable part was true, but I would have given him the clothes even if he hadn't helped me so much. He'd done so many small things for me – fixing my gardening tools, repairing broken things in my cave…

But the sad truth was that even without those things I would have given him the clothes.

"That?" he laughed, as if remembering something unimportant.

 _Di immortales._

I could feel my breathing speed up, and I struggled to keep my face straight. I couldn't tear my eyes from his, even though I was trying with every fibre of my being. I wanted him to stop laughing – it wasn't fair that something as simple as a laugh could set my heart racing and my cheeks flushing – but at the same time I never wanted the pure, musical peals of his laugh to stop.

I needed to stop. I needed to focus on something. I looked at his far-away expression. His hair was longer than the last time I'd seen him, and curlier as well. Combined with his chiselled face, it suited him more than I would have expected. His eyes seemed darker as well – when I had come in at first, they were wild, with an edge to them.

That didn't mean they couldn't light up though, and whenever they did, my heart began to mend itself.

"That was no big deal," Leo continued, still reminiscising about the fountain. "I don't like it when things don't work right."

"And the curtains across the cave entrance?"

"The rod wasn't level."

"And my gardening tools?"

"Look, I just sharpened the shears. Cutting vines with a dull blade is dangerous. And the pruners needed to be oiled at the hinge, and –"

"Oh, yeah," I mimicked his voice from earlier. "You're really warming up to me."

He didn't say anything. I could practically feel myself glowing. I had definitely won this round.

I changed the subject. "What are you building?", I asked, pointing at his worktable. There was a bronze mirror lying there now, connected through several complicated-looking wires and circuits to a ball.

"Uh, it's a seeing device," he said absently, after a few seconds. "We found one like this in Rome, in the workshop of Archimedes. If I can make it work, maybe I can find out what's going on with my friends."

I shook my head, coming off my high. "That's impossible. This island is hidden, cut off from the world by strong magic. Time doesn't even flow the same here," I said, purposely referring to one of his earlier questions.

He still looked confident in his device. "Well, you've got to have some kind of outside contact. How did you find out that I used to wear an army jacket?"

I fiddled with a strand of my hair uncomfortably. "Seeing the past is simple magic." I struggled to find the words to explain it. "Seeing the present or the future – that is not," I ended up saying vaguely.

"Yeah, well," he said, disregarding what I'd said, "Watch and learn, Sunshine. I just connect these last two wires, and –"

 _So obviously we all know what happens when he connects the last two wires, but I thought it would be fun to end like this anyway. Hope you're enjoying and please review!_

 _xx_


	9. I Sing to Some Bronze

Previously: _He still looked confident in his device. "Well, you've got to have some kind of outside contact. How did you find out that I used to wear an army jacket?"_

 _I fiddled with a strand of my hair uncomfortably. "Seeing the past is simple magic." I struggled to find the words to explain it. "Seeing the present or the future – that is not," I ended up saying vaguely._

" _Yeah, well," he said, disregarding what I'd said, "Watch and learn, Sunshine. I just connect these last two wires, and –"_

CALYPSO –

I stifled a laugh as the bronze mirror sparked, and smoke gushed out of the ball. Fire raced up Leo's sleeve, and I panicked for a second before I remembered he was immune to fire. He tore off his shirt, stamping on it in frustration.

"Not a word," he warned.

I glanced at his chest – and there was the explanation I had been missing earlier – this was the reason he was able to carry all that Celestial Bronze. He wasn't nearly as scrawny as he appeared to be. His arms and chest were sinewy and muscly, and looked lean and strong. He had abs, for heavens' sake.

And he also had scars. A lot of them. Part of me worried where they'd come from – some were much fresher than others, and some were faded and white.

I swallowed. "Nothing worth commenting on," I said, trying to sound cocksure. "If you want that device to work," I said, inspired, "Perhaps you should try a musical invocation."

"Right," he said sarcastically. "Whenever an engine malfunctions, I like to tap-dance around it. Works every time."

I took a deep breath and began to sing.

I hadn't sung in gods knows how long. I sang about the time when I'd been free from Ogygia – it seemed appropriate, considering Leo's current situation and the purpose of the device. It was a bittersweet song – it reminded of happier times, and good memories, but also brought back the fact that you couldn't return to those times.

I stopped singing. "Any luck?" I asked, catching Leo's eyes. They were wide and unfocused, and filled with an overwhelming longing that nobody else would have been able to relate to.

Except me. Until this, I had never thought that somebody could miss something as much as I missed freedom.

"Uh…" he pulled his gaze away from mine and looked at the bronze again. "Nothing."

I sighed internally. Now he would think I was completely and utterly ridiculous. I looked at it from a mechanic's view for a moment. Singing to the machine to make it work…

Utterly ridiculous.

"Wait-" he exclaimed suddenly. I snapped my head around just in time to see the screen glow to life.

 _Hey guys, sorry for the abysmally short chapter. I wanted to end on that note so I can devote the entire chapter to what they see in the device…anyway review and I hope you enjoyed it!_

 _xx_


	10. I Watch Dwarves Annoy Romans

Hey guys, sorry for the wait but as promised it's Sunday and here is your new chapter! I might not update as regularly as always because I have exams now, but I will definitely make an effort to upload at least one chapter a week. Thanks for reading and as always reviews are appreciated!

Previously: _"Wait-" he exclaimed suddenly. I snapped my head around just in time to see the screen glow to life._

CALYPSO –

Holographic pictures shimmered to life and I was suddenly looking at a group of people who were being yelled at by a brawny girl with stringy hair and brown eyes (probably Ares spawn). Everyone was getting into lines and a collection of people who all looked very different but had features which linked them together – calloused hands, muscles and grim expressions – wove in between the lines, giving out armour and various weapons.

I recognized Chiron, who was trotting up and down the lines, his face filled with determination. He looked older than the last time I'd seen him, but he was dressed for battle, his horse legs shielded by bronze greaves and a plume waving from the helmet on his head. I followed his gaze as he turned his head to gaze sadly at a fleet of triremes that floated on the water, looking war-ready. In fact, as I studied the scene, I could see evidence of battle preparations everywhere. Satyrs in orange t-shirts patrolled the strawberry fields and I could see the silhouettes of people on pegasi flying overhead. Along the hills, which looked like they would have been very pleasant in another situation, more people were busy priming catapults, their faces all simultaneously scared, determined and worried.

There was a war going on here, and I immediately realised why Leo was so desperate to leave Ogygia. "Your friends?" I asked, glancing over to see his reaction.

He nodded. "They're preparing for war," he said expressionlessly, but I could see the panic in his eyes. "Against whom?" I asked. Percy had vanquished the Titans…

"Look," he said, gesturing at the mirror. I turned back. The picture had changed, and now troops in golden armour were marching through a vineyard, their backs rigidly straight, and their faces neutral, the opposite of Leo's friends from before. Romans?

"I've seen that sign before," Leo said suddenly. I looked into the picture and saw the words "GOLDSMITH WINERY" in illuminated letters. "That's not far from Cam Half-Blood," he continued, suddenly looking a little queasy.

Camp Half-Blood. That must be where he came from, where Percy came from. I looked down, not sure what to think. I was glad that Leo had a place to return to, a place to call home.

Right?

I saw gold flashing on the screen and returned my gaze to the mirror, where the previously orderly Romans had dissolved into chaos, dropping their shields, running and throwing javelins everywhere. I noticed two small shapes, that looked rather hairy, darting through the crowd, causing havoc everywhere they went. I watched as they stole weapons, caused trousers to fall down and whacked people on the head.

It was rather funny, to be honest.

I could feel Leo's smile stretching off his face. "Those beautiful little trouble-makers! They kept their promise."

In the back of my mind, I wondered what promise he was talking about, but I was more concerned with who those two were. "Cousins of yours?" I asked, allowing myself a small smile.

"Ha, ha, ha – no." he replied drily. "Couple of dwarfs I met in Bologna. I sent them to slow down the Romans, and they're doing it."

"But for how long?" I mused out loud. The Romans seemed much more focused and prepared than the Greeks at Leo's camp, and I couldn't imagine the Leo's friends lasting long against them.

He didn't reply, and the scene on the mirror changed again. A skinny blond boy was standing in a large space filled with odd contraptions that had wheels and metal bodies. Romans crowded around him as he lifted a long pole wrapped in canvas. When he uncovered it, a golden eagle sparkled on the top. A standard?

"Oh, that's not good," Leo said nervously.

"A Roman standard," I said, partly to prove that I knew what it was and partly to see if he did.

"Yeah," he replied. "And this one shoots lightning, according to Percy.

I wished he hadn't said that.

I could no longer deny that I had feelings for Leo. My situation was complicated enough without him constantly bringing up the fact that I also had lingering feelings for one of his best friends. I fought to keep in control of my emotions. I had learn after Odysseus had left that feelings were useless. They only brought pain.

I closed and opened my eyes, and then glanced at Leo. He had shut up as soon as he had said Percy's name, and I was surprised to see anger on his face. I wondered why, but I didn't say anything. He shifted his gaze back to the images, which had changed once again.

A storm had erupted in the pictures. Grey clouds covered the sky, and rain lashed down like it was full of fury. A girl riding a pegasus flew into view, her long, black hair flowing out behind her. Her purple cloak fluttered around in the wind, showing off her Imperial Gold armour. I noticed she was bleeding from various cuts on her face and arms, but her eyes were filled with anger and determination as she urged her pegasus into the eye of the storm.

A gryphon dive-bombed the girl and scratched the pegasus's ribs. It bucked furiously and the girl nearly fell off, but she regained her balance and fluidly slashed her sword through the monster. Three venti appeared, swirling round her, flashing with lightning and anger.

I looked sideways at Leo, wondering how this was connected to the war raging at his home, and saw the panic in his eyes as he stared at the girl. His eyes were full of worry and hope for her, and I felt anger build up inside my stomach, snapping the spell I had cast with my song.

The girl on the screen screamed as she charged the venti, and the mirror went dark.


	11. Leo Throws Pliers

Guys I'm so sorry that I missed last week! I've just had a lot of exams, but I promise to update next week and I'll try and get back on schedule :D

I want to give a shoutout to ImALazyProcrastinator for all the support she's given me with this story :D

Previously: _I looked sideways at Leo, wondering how this was connected to the war raging at his home, and saw the panic in his eyes as he stared at the girl. His eyes were full of worry and hope for her, and I felt anger build up inside my stomach, snapping the spell I had cast with my song._

 _The girl on the screen screamed as she charged the venti, and the mirror went dark._

CALYPSO –

"No!" Leo yelled, hammering on the mirror. "No, not now…show me what happens!" I felt the coil of anger in my stomach growing and twisting with something that I couldn't deny was jealousy. His voice interrupted my thoughts. "Calypso, can you sing again or something?"

My anger rose to the top. He was so oblivious…how could he not see what he was doing to me? I glared at him, my eyes burning. "I suppose that is your girlfriend?" I asked bitterly, not even bothering to disguise my emotions. "Your Penelope?" I fought back tears as I remembered everyone my heroes had left me for. "Your Elizabeth?" _Drake._ "Your Annabeth?" _Percy._

"What?" he asked, the urgency in his eyes momentarily replaced by confusion and frustration. "That's Reyna," he continued, and I mentally added the name to the list of unknown people I had repeatedly told myself I _wouldn't_ do anything to be. "She's not my girlfriend! I need to see more! I need-"

The spark of hope that lit in my heart at his first words was quickly snuffed out by the desperation that slipped back into his voice. I didn't even have time to think about it as Leo staggered suddenly and the world began to tremble.

" _NEED,"_ an unearthly voice said, erupting from the ground. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. " _NEED is an overused word,"_ it continued. I fought down a growl as a figure burst forth from the sand. Gaia.

A pair of pliers sailed through her face and I started, twisting my head to look at Leo so quickly that I probably would have gotten whiplash had I been mortal. I was taken aback by the fear and rage that burned in his eyes. I had never seen him like this, and it was terrifying and yet beautiful at the same time.

" _You want to live,"_ Gaia said, and I knew instinctively that she was talking to Leo. " _You want to join your friends. But you do not_ need _this, my poor boy. It would make no difference. Your friends will die, regardless._ "

I could tell how badly her words were affecting Leo. His legs were shaking, and he was swaying back and forth. The fear on his face dissolved fully into rage, and he burst out, "What I _don't_ need is more lies from you, Dirt Face." I had to admire his bravery – calling an evil, primordial goddess _Dirt Face_ took guts. "You told me my great-grandad died in the 1960s. Wrong! You told me I couldn't save my friends in Rome. Wrong! You told me a lot of things."

I felt like an unwelcome spectator, watching as Leo grew steadily more angry. His eyes were full of fire, and I realised that maybe there was more to him than I had thought. He clearly had a history with Gaia.

Gaia laughed softly, maintaining her impenetrable façade. " _I tried to help you make better choices. You could have saved yourself. But you defied me at every step. You built your ship. You joined that foolish quest. Now you are trapped here, helpless, while the mortal world dies."_

Fire burst to life in Leo's hands, and the flames in his eyes flickered and grew larger, taking over more of…him. I could feel him losing control, and I put my hand on his shoulder gently.

"Gaia," I said, keeping my voice even. "You are not welcome."

" _Ah, Calypso,"_ she said, her voice different, softer, more coercing. " _Still here, I see, despite the gods' promises. Why do you think that is, my dear grandchild? Are the Olympians being spiteful, leaving you with no company except this undergrown fool? Or have they simply forgotten you, because you are not worth their time?"_

I could sympathise with Leo. Gaia knew exactly what to say to cut you straight to the bone. _Not worth their time. Leaving you. Still here._ Her words swirled in my hair, and I stared at the horizon, the line that marked the entry to the places I could never go, looking straight through Gaia.

" _Yes,"_ Gaia murmured, her voice sympathetic. _"The Olympians are cruel. They do not give second chances. Why do you hold out with them? You supported your father, Atlas, in his great war. You knew that the gods must be destroyed. Why do you hesitate now? I offer you a chance that Zeus would never give you."_

"Where were you these last three thousand years?" I asked, bitter again. "If you are so concerned with my fate, why do you visit me only now?"

Gaia turned up her palms in a gesture of peace. " _The earth is slow to wake. War comes in its own time. But do not think it will pass you by on Ogygia. When I remake the world, this prison will be destroyed as well."_

"Ogygia…destroyed?" I couldn't comprehend the idea of Ogygia being gone. I had lived here for almost my whole life. It was my home. Ogygia…destroyed.

" _You do not have to be there when that happens,"_ Gaia continued. " _Join me now. Kill this boy. Spill his blood upon the earth, and help me to wake. I will free you and grant you any wish. Freedom. Revenge against the gods. Even a prize. Would you still have Percy Jackson? I will spare him for you. I will raise him from Tartarus. He will be yours to punish or to love, as you choose. Only kill this trespassing boy. Show your loyalty."_

If Gaia had shown up the day Leo had arrived, I wouldn't have thought. I would have ordered my wind spirits to chop him up and fled Ogygia with Percy Jackson.

Now, however, I knew Leo. I knew him, and I also knew that I loved him, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.

I loved him. There was absolutely no way I would be able to kill him.

I made a three-fingered claw over my heart and pushed outwards, towards Gaia – a ward against evil. "This is not just my prison, Grandmother. It is my home. And _you_ are the trespasser here." _Not Leo,_ I added silently in my head.

The wind ripped her disembodied figure into nothing, and sand scattered over the workshop and flew into the sky.

Leo swallowed loudly. "Uh, don't take this the wrong way, but you didn't kill me. Are you crazy?"

I couldn't imagine what Gaia had done to Leo. He didn't deserve any of it. Here he was, asking why I hadn't killed him. He really had no idea. Just the thought of Gaia was making me angry. "Your friends must need you, or else Gaia would not ask for your death," I said, scrambling for anything to say – other than _I love you. Don't leave me._

"I – uh, yeah. I guess…" he sounded uncertain.

"Then we have work to do," I said, already knowing what I would have to do. "We must get you back to your ship."

 _Thanks for bearing with me! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Reviews, follows and favourites are appreciated and thank you to anybody who has already done so :D_


	12. I Make Rope

Hey guys! Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited this story, it genuinely means so much to me :D

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Previously: _"Then we have work to do," I said, already knowing what I would have to do. "We must get you back to your ship."_

CALYPSO –

I used work to distract me.

To keep my mind clear of the fact that in just a few weeks, or maybe even days, Leo would be gone. No annoying, scrawny git to make me laugh and say ridiculous jokes, a grin lighting up his face and his eyes.

I kept my brain and my hands busy, focusing intently on everything I did, working at twice the pace I normally did. I found supplies for his journey when he left – food, water, herbs and medicine, I made miles of rope and wove a sail in about two days. When I'd finished all of that, I went to Leo and asked if he needed any help. I knew that if I wasn't busy, if I had time to think, I would fall into the depressed spiral of rejection I knew so well. Except this time I had a feeling it would be so much worse than usual.

He had looked up from a complicated piece of circuitry he was delicately putting together and smiled. "If I didn't know better, I 'd think you were anxious to get rid of me," he said, and I laughed grimly on the inside. Exactly the opposite. I turned on my snarky façade. "That's a bonus," I said, my voice surprisingly convincing.

He was silent for a minute, and stared at me, emotions swirling in his chocolate eyes. I blinked hard, and tore my gaze away. "So?"

"So…what?" he asked, sounding confused.

"So can I help? How is it coming on?" I referred to my original reason for visiting him.

"Oh. Uh, I'm good here, I guess. If I can wire this thing up to the boat, I should be able to navigate back to the world." I tried to keep my face devoid of any emotion, hiding the twinge of disappointment I felt at his words, and realised with a start that I had been hoping to work _with_ him, if only for the chance to watch his long, nimble fingers dance around the machine, his eyes glittering in a way they only did when he was building or fixing something.

"Now all you need is a boat," I said. That would buy me some more time with him, we'd have to build a boat as well. Then I remembered his story about the _Argo II,_ and the hope vanished entirely. He'd built a trireme. It would probably take him less than half an hour to make a sailboat.

"What Gaia said…" He paused for a moment, apprehension in his eyes. "About you getting off the island. Would you want to try it?"

I felt something leap inside my chest. _Get off the island?_ It sounded like something undeniably strange, foreign.

"What do you mean?" I scowled, trying to stifle the thing that was still jumping inside me.

"Well, I'm not saying it would be fun having you along, always complaining and glaring at me and stuff. But I suppose I could stand it, if you wanted to try."

He wanted to get me off this island. He wanted me to come with him, despite my 'complaining and glaring', and the thing in my chest went crazy.

"How noble," I said softly. "But no, Leo. If I tried to come with you, your tiny chance of escape would be no chance at all. The Gods have placed ancient magic on this island to keep me here. A hero can leave. I cannot. The most important thing is getting you free… so you can stop Gaia. Not that I care what happens to you," I added quickly, trying to cover up the fact that I'd just admitted that Leo was more important to me than escaping Ogygia. "But the world's fate is at stake."

He seemed to pick up on it though. "Why would you care about that? I mean, after being away from the world for so long?"

I thought for a moment. Why did I want Leo to defeat Gaia? Partly for Leo himself of course, but I also didn't want the world to be destroyed, despite having been kept apart from it for so long. "I suppose I don't like being told what to do – by Gaia or anyone else," I mused out loud. "As much as I hate the gods sometimes, over the past three millennia I've come to see that they're better than the Titans. They're _definitely_ better than the giants." I shuddered internally. "At least the gods kept in touch. Hermes has always been kind to me. And your father, Hephaestus, has often visited. He is a good person."

He was Leo's father, after all. He couldn't be that bad.

I smiled to myself as I noticed Leo's mouth hanging open. Unable to resist the temptation, I reached forward and closed it. My fingertips tingled from the contact and I quickly withdrew my hand. "Now, how can I help?"


	13. Author's Note

Hey guys,

This isn't an update :( just bear with me xx

I'm really sorry I haven't put a new chapter up this week or even written anything earlier than this! I AM NOT DISCONTINUING THIS STORY. I will be posting at least two chapters this Sunday – it's just exam week now and I've been busy with revision etc. The unfortunate truths of life.

Thanks for waiting :D

Xx

awesomesauceuniverse


	14. Leo and Calypso's Garage

I apologise again for my hiatus – but on the plus side, exams are over! And I'm going to be posting two chapters today to make up for last week and then I will definitely be posting this Sunday :D Thanks so much for being patient with me xx

Previously: _I smiled to myself as I noticed Leo's mouth hanging open. Unable to resist the temptation, I reached forward and closed it. My fingertips tingled from the contact and I quickly withdrew my hand. "Now, how can I help?"_

"Oh," Leo said after a moment of looking bemused. He stared down at the apparatus on the worktable and then suddenly said, "You know that flameproof cloth? You think you could make me a little bag of that fabric?" He began to describe the dimension, gesticulating with his hands, long fingers moving rapidly. I waved my hand – the bag he was describing was tiny, and would take me less than five minutes to weave. "That will only take minutes," I told him. "Will it help you on your quest?"

"Yeah. It might save a life," he said, and I wondered absently how a flameproof pouch could save somebody's life. "And, um, could you chip off a little piece of crystal from your cave? I don't need much," Leo continued. I frowned. "That's an odd request," I said, not only because I remembered Odysseus mentioning something about the crystals in my cave so long ago.

"Humour me," he said, his eyes bright. I agreed, and then held up my hands, showing him the dirt and grime one them. "But what can I do now, while my hands are dirty?"

Leo smiled distractedly for a moment, an unreadable emotion flickering across his face. "Well," he continued after a few seconds, "You could twist some more bronze coils. But that's kind of specialized –"

Feeling the familiar urge to prove myself to him rising up in my throat, I slid onto the bench next to him and began to twist the bronze wires. "Just like weaving," I said, because it was just like weaving, or even braiding my hair. "This isn't so hard."

"Huh. Well, if you ever get off this island and want a job, let me know. You're not a total klutz." The half-formed compliment lit a fire in my chest, and I smirked. "A job, eh? Making things in your forge?

"Nah, we could start our own shop," Leo said, surprise flashing across his features briefly and then his eyes turned dreamy as he went on. "Leo and Calypso's Garage: Auto Repair and Mechanical Monsters." He sounded like he'd thought about it, and I could visualise it all too clearly – the two of us side by side in a workshop not unlike this one.

"Fresh fruits and vegetables," I suggested, and smiled when he nodded and added, "Lemonade and stew. We could even provide entertainment. You could sing and I could, like, randomly burst into flames."

I laughed, a proper laugh, and realised with a start once more that only Leo could make me laugh genuinely.

"See," he said, grinning. "I'm funny."

It was hard, but I managed to wipe the smile off my face. "You are _not_ funny. Now, get back to work, or no lemonade and stew."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and I felt happy for the first time I could remember. Laughing and talking and making jokes…I couldn't remember when I'd had this before.

We worked side by side, in silence, for the rest of the afternoon, the air light and still ringing with the sounds of our earlier laughter.

AN: Just some pure fluff there! We all need some Caleo feels in our life :D

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	15. I Stroke a Guidance Console

The second chapter in this week's apology pair! Hope you enjoy it!

Previously: _We worked side by side, in silence, for the rest of the afternoon, the air light and still ringing with the sounds of our earlier laughter._

Leo and I had finished the guidance console two nights later. We sat on the beach together, having a picnic close to the original place where Leo had first crashed onto Ogygia. I knew I would never fill that crater in. It was special now – it was Leo.

All the supplies I'd prepared for him were ready and carefully packed, resting in the dunes behind us.

"All we need now is a boat," I said, feeling an uncomfortable feeling lurch in my stomach – the same feeling I'd realised I got only when I thought about Leo leaving.

He nodded. "I can start chopping wood into boards tomorrow. Few days, we'll have enough for a small hull."

"You've made a ship before," I remembered, thinking back to all the stories he'd told me. "Your _Argo II."_ Because the way he talked about it, it was unquestionably his.

Leo nodded again, silently. His eyes were full of something unidentifiable, but they were darker than usual, as if somebody had added another handful of cocoa beans to the milk chocolate that usually made up his eyes.

"So, how long until you sail?" I said, trying to keep my voice casual, and I succeeded in keeping my eyes away from his. The feeling tumbled around my stomach.

"Uh, not sure…another week?" Was it my imagination, or did was his tone slightly reluctant? I dismissed the notion immediately, trying to disguise my relief that we had a few more days together. I ran my fingers along the completed guidance console. "This took so long to make." I knew he would understand what I was talking about.

Sure enough, he grinned. "You can't rush perfection."

A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth. "Yes, but will it work?"

"Getting out, no problem," he said confidently. "But to get back I'll need Festus and –"

" _What?_ " I gasped, trying to remember whether I'd actually just heard him say " _to get back."_

He blinked, as if he had no idea what I was so flabbergasted about. "Festus. My bronze dragon. Once I figure out how to rebuild him, I'll –"

"You told me about Festus," I interrupted again. "But what do you mean _get back?_ "

He smiled a little nervously. "Well…to get back here, duh. I'm sure I said that."

"You most definitely did not."

"I'm not gonna leave you here! After you helped me and everything? Of course I'm coming back. Once I rebuild Festus, he'll be able to handle an improved guidance system. There's this astrolabe that I, uh…that I found in Bologna. Anyway, I think with that crystal you gave me-"

"You can't come back," I said insistently, even though I could barely here my own words over the thumping of my heart. _I'm not gonna leave you here,_ he'd said. _Of course I'm coming back._

His eyes darkened immediately at my words. "Because I'm not welcome?"

"Because you _can't,"_ I said, trying to ignore the pang in my chest at the notion of Leo being sad because I didn't want him to return. "It's impossible. No man finds Ogygia twice. That is the rule."

He relaxed, leaning back slightly and rolling his eyes. "Yeah, well, you might've noticed I'm not good at following rules. I'm coming back here with my dragon, and we'll spring you. Take you wherever you want to go. It's only fair."

"Fair…" I echoed him quietly, staring at the sand. I could feel a strange mixture of sadness and love welling up inside me. Love, because of Leo's courage, his determination to come back and to 'spring me'. And sadness, because I knew that he couldn't.

AN: Sorry to leave you on such an angsty ending! Well, not really, since we all know what happens. But anyway…hope you enjoyed these two chapters! As always, reviews/follows etc. much appreciated! xx


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